GOP and Trumpcare: Skullduggery and Thuggery

As I wrote a few days ago, the GOP has adopted the Democrat playbook for passing Trumpcare, including: never-ending campaign rallies, secretive meetings behind closed doors, creative financing, town hall meetings where members of Congress tell their constituents to “shut up,” and a Christmas list of promises designed to convince America that this version of government-run healthcare really will lower cost and improve care.

According to Rep. Justin Amash, even with all this awesomeness, Donnie and his thugs still don’t have the votes to cram this disaster through Congress before cramming it down America’s throat.

They haven't changed the bill's general framework. They don't have the votes to pass it. They have seriously miscalculated. https://t.co/Rg7myfgrRm

Not to worry, though; just as the Democrats did when passing Obamacare, Trump and the GOP brought out the big guns to bully any dissenters into submission.

On Monday, Trump tapped into his inner Obama by holding yet another campaign rally—he does know the election is over, right?—and when he wasn’t taking credit for destroying the NFL and Colin Kaepernick, he promised the worshipers attending the Kentucky event that Trumpcare would absolutely “end the Obamacare catastrophe.”

Yesterday, in a meeting praised by Paul Ryan for creating “unity” within the Republican ranks, Trump had words with the conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus where he renewed his threat to primary anyone who fails to fall in line. In addition, he specifically targeted Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, saying, “I’m coming after you.” Sadly, the Meadows threat appears to have had the desired effect, as he caved to Trump’s demands by stating that the Freedom Caucus will neither endorse nor condemn the measure, thus freeing members to vote however they choose.

In the Senate, the Rock of Gibraltar for Conservative causes, Mitch McConnell—that’s sarcasm, folks—served as Trump’s proxy in the threat department when he warned fellow Republicans that they would face political consequences for opposing Trumpcare. Micky even used a tactic that would make any Democrat proud when he stated that voting “no” on Trumpcare is the equivalent to voting “yes” for Obamacare and the status quo.

“I would hate to be a Republican whose vote prevented us from keeping the commitment we’ve made to the American people for almost 10 years now” to repeal and replace former President Barack Obama’s health care law.

“I think the American people would be deeply disappointed that we were prevented from keeping our commitment by Republicans who in the end, in effect, voted for the status quo.”

Changing the name of Obamacare is not the same as repealing it, but it does make it possible for Big Brother to maintain control of our healthcare. And in the end, that is the goal of the progressive, Trumplican party.